burn the midnight oil

تاصبح بیدار ماندن و کار یا مطالعه کردن

to stay up late studying or working

EXAMPLE 1:  Michael burned the midnight oil studying for his algebra test.

EXAMPLE 2: The project is due tomorrow and we're far from finished. We're going to have to burn the midnight oil tonight.
 

blow it

گند زدن

to spoil an opportunity

EXAMPLE 1:  The actress got nervous and forgot all of her lines. She really blew it!

EXAMPLE 2: I'll give you one more chance, but don't blow it this time!
 

your guess is as good as mine

منم مثل تو نمی دونم

I don't know; I don't know any more than you do

EXAMPLE 1:  Will we ever find intelligent life on other planets? Your guess is as good as mine.

EXAMPLE 2: Will Ted graduate on time? Your guess is as good as mine!
 

to tell you the truth

واقعیت را بگویم

to speak openly; to admit

EXAMPLE 1: To tell you the truth, Ted isn't a very good student.

EXAMPLE 2: To tell you the truth, I didn't even want to attend Katie's wedding. But I knew she'd be offended if! didn't go.
 

second nature

مثل آب خوردن

a behavior that has been practiced for so long, it seems to have been there always

EXAMPLE 1: Karen has been arguing with her husband every day for the past 20 years, so by now it's just second nature.

EXAMPLE 2: With practice, riding a unicycle becomes second nature.
 

round up

جمع کردن مردم

to gather people together

EXAMPLE 1: The town rounded up 200 volunteers to search for the hiker, who was lost in the woods of Yosemite National Park.

EXAMPLE 2: Let's round up some volunteers to help bake cookies and pies for the bake sale.
 

piece of cake

مثل آب خوردن

very easy

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole finished her physics test in just 25 minutes. It was a piece of cake.

EXAMPLE 2: The driving test is a piece of cake. Don't worry about it.
 

pain in the neck

کاری که از انجام آن بیزاری، زجرآور

an annoyance

EXAMPLE 1: Yesterday I had to stay home all day and wait for the repairman. What a pain in the neck!

EXAMPLE 2: Alice wants me to drive her to the airport early tomorrow morning. That's going to be a pain in the neck!
 

learn the ropes

روش انجام کاری را یاد گرفتن

to learn the basics

EXAMPLE 1:  Mark learned the ropes of the restaurant business by working as a cook at Outback Steakhouse.

EXAMPLE 2: David worked at a big law firm for 10 years where he learned the ropes. Now he runs his own law firm.